“She can withstand it well. No, it’s not just about withstanding. She can even win.”
Harmon raised both hands as if conceding defeat, lifting his head defiantly. Despite attempting to find a way to negotiate before his mother and Cediloy met, Cediloy’s attitude was stubborn to an extent Harmon had never seen before.

Until Arianthe grows up, Cediloy vowed never to marry anyone, just as he had resisted before.

“You said you wouldn’t marry for Arianthe’s sake, Cediloy.”

“Yeah, that’s right. But it’s different for Maiana.”

“Did you ask your daughter? Did you ask her if it’s okay to suddenly call the maid your mother?”

Cediloy burst into laughter.

“If I have to marry someone else and call her ‘mother,’ Arianthe might run away and never talk to me again. She has been infatuated with Maiana since before I loved her. Arianthe lacked everything that Maiana gave her. I couldn’t help but love her.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️

As the sun began to tilt, casting an autumnal dusk like a red curtain, the halls of the capital gradually became noisy with excitement and enthusiastic voices.

Arianthe, who had barely slept for about an hour, suddenly woke up and urged Maiana to tour the capital throughout the afternoon.

Trying to avoid a dreadful situation of getting lost and accidentally entering the king’s private chambers, Maiana intended to entrust Arianthe to Cediloy, who had just returned. However, he requested her to accompany them.

Amidst the elaborate hallways, small gardens in between, arch decorations… Though now starting to wither, the pavilion that would be covered with lively leaves and flowers in summer, fountains. Numerous people bustling or leisurely wandering through the spaces.

Maiana, with a fresh look, once again thought that this place seemed unreal, like a dream or perhaps a set. However, the handrails of the corridor touched by her fingertips were surprisingly cold, and Arianthe’s playful voice was vivid and clear.

“Maiana, look at this! Look at my dress!”

Returning to Alis’s room and changing into a ball gown, Arianthe spun around several times, proudly displaying her appearance. Most of the clothes she used to wear at the Baltermance estate were personally made by Maiana, so they were not particularly extravagant.

The dress prepared by the king for Arianthe was dazzlingly luxurious yet appeared comfortable. The soft undergarments supporting the inside, without the need for a corset, prevented the fabric from rubbing against the skin. The thin and light inner dress piled up to create a skirt that spread out like a delicate peony.

“So beautiful, Lady. How can you be so pretty? Do you like it?”
“Like it! Look at this, it’s as comfortable as what Maiana made!”

Arianthe, who burst into laughter, raised her toes and spun around. As she did, her skirt blossomed wide open, rising slightly into the air before settling back down.

“Look at this! Doesn’t it look like a dancer?”

Maiana smiled while tidying Arianthe’s hair.

“It’s like an angel.”

“The dress Maiana is wearing is also very pretty. Look, there are diamonds here, and the colors keep changing.”

“Does it look weird to you, Lady? From your perspective?”

Arianthe opened her mouth as if to say that was an absurd statement.

“Not at all! What’s weird about it? It’s really beautiful!”

“Really?”

“Really!”

At that moment, Cediloy’s voice interjected between the two.

“It’s truly beautiful, so you can believe it.”

Arianthe shouted, “Father!” and ran towards Cediloy. Cediloy effortlessly embraced his daughter, who ran to him like a squirrel, holding onto her full skirt.

Maiana, for a moment, gazed at him with a vacant expression until Cediloy turned his head towards her. It was a different attire, something she had never seen before. It made sense, as he had never worn a formal suit at the Baltermance estate…

The cravat, rich but not ostentatious, the beige shirt underneath, the jacket fitting snugly at the waist, and the slightly decorated lower part revealing his sturdy physique and agile figure.

The thin chain connecting both buttons and the shirt’s cuff buttons peeking out from the jacket sleeves added a sophisticated and elegant touch.

“Maiana.”

At the sound of Cediloy’s call, Maiana blinked in surprise.

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“Why are you staring blankly like that? Where does it hurt?”

Then Arianthe, laughing mischievously, spoke.

“I think she’s fallen in love because Father is so handsome! He looks like a prince.”

Maiana’s face widened. When Arianthe made a teasing expression towards her, Maiana protruded her tongue as if to say, “My words are not untrue.”

Cediloy said, “Is Arianthe right?”

Maiana’s cheeks slightly reddened.

“What are you talking about?”

A mischievous smile appeared on Cediloy’s lips.

“The reason you were lost in thought. Did you fall in love with me when you saw how handsome I am, like Arianthe said?”